Head rest support



June 5, 1951 N. B. PULSIFER HEAD 'REST :SUPPORT Filed Jan. 16,. 1948 9 33 FIG. 5.

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Patented June 5, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEAD REST SUPPORT N ewell B. Pulsifer, Livermore Falls, Maine Application January 16, 1948, Serial No. 2,674

With the foregoing in view, an object of my invention is to provide an improved head rest.

A further object is to provide an improved head rest which includes bracket means mounting the same on the chair back, universal means mounting the head rest base on said bracket, and a resilient pad detachably secured to said base by a readily detachable sanitary cover.

A further object is to provide a novel and. improved base for a head rest which includes a novel head-engaging surface simulating a palm and fingers of the hand.

A further object is to provide a novel base for a head rest which includesthe novel hand-simulating surface aforesaid, together with, a resilient pad and means for securing said pad on said surface against lateral and endwise displacement.

A further object is to provide" a novel bracket for a head rest which includes means for supporting the pad in both. an operative and an inoperative position.

Other objects and advantages reside in the particular structure of the invention, combination and arrangement of the several parts there.- of, and will be apparent to those skilled. in. the art upon reference to the. attached drawing in connection with the following specification,

wherein the invention is shown, described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred form of the head rest and mounting means in assembled and operative position relative to a chair;

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation of the assembled head rest and bracket of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view thereof;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the bracket apart from the rest of the structure;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal vertical section through the head rest and base therefor.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the base plate according to the invention apart from the rest of the structure.

Referring specifically to the drawing, wherein like reference characters have been used throughout the several views to designate like parts, I!) designates generally the seat which in this instance comprises a conventional easy chair. As best seen in Figures 2, 3 and 5, the head rest ac cording to the invention comprises a base Ill having a rear surface l2 and a forward surface [3. The base is also provided with ends l4 and. IS.

The base I l is provided across the front surface" between the sides IS with a relatively shallow transverse recess ll. On either side of the recess l! the surface l3 slopes outwardly toward. the ends I4 and 15 to provide outwardly-sloped surface" portions l8 and 19. That outwardly-sloping surface portion I9 which extends toward the end ii of the base extends further outwardly than does the most forward portion of the outwardly-sloping surface portion [8. Forwardly-directed e'n'd flanges 20 and 2| extend from the ends l5 and.

M, respectively, of the base, and define the ends and at least adjacent portions of the sides l6. Centrally of the recess ll the base is formed with a countersunk hole for the reception of a screw or bolt 22 for securing the base to a bracket to be described later.

A pad 23 of any suitable resilient material, such as sponge rubber, is formed; to be substantially co-extensive with the forward surface [3 of the base and. is seatable thereon between the end flanges 20 and 2!. By virtue of the fact that the end flanges encompass at least adjacent portions of the sidesv iii of the base, the pad 23 is retained on the forward surface of the base against lateral or endwise displacement by such. flanges. A sanitary cover 24 of any suitable washable material and provided with resilient free edges which are inwardly directed: encompasses the base and pad to retain the pad thereon against forward displacement relative to the base. Obviously, also, the cover renders the device sanitary and is removable for each separate user if desired.

The screw or bolt 22 aforesaid has a free end extending rearwardly of the base II, and is detachably secured to one leg of a substantially L-shaped bracket 26. A thumb nut 21, or other readily detachable means, may be utilized to secure the base to the bracket 26. The other leg of the bracket 26 is detachably secured to a laterally-directed end 28 of a bracket arm 29. A suitable bolt 3| and thumb nut 30 may be utilized for this latter connection. It is obvious from the foregoing that the bracket 26, together with the arm 28 of the bracket arm 29 and the bolts 22 and 3|, comprise a universal connection between the base II and the bracket arm 29. Obviously, other forms of universal connections may be used. The bracket arm 29 includes a straight rear end portion 3!] which is adapted to be readily detachably connected to a plate 3|.

The plate 3| comprises a plate portion formed to provide openings 32 therethrough, whereby the same may be readily detachably connected to a side edge of the chair back of the chair H]. A plurality of channel-shaped lugs are formed on the outer surface of the bracket 3| and include a lug 33 which isadjacent the rear edge of the bracket and which is downwardly directed. There is also included an upwardly-directed lug 34 in vertically-staggered relation to the lug 33. The lugs 33 and34 define a horizontal slideway which is adapted to slidably receive the straight rear end portion 30 of the bracket arm 23 to mount the latter for extensile and retractile movement with respect to the plate 3|, which is connected to the side edge of the chair back. In view of the fact that the lug 33 is rearwardly of the lug 3d, the weight of the base H and forward portion of the bracket arm maintains the bracket arm 29 in a substantially horizontal position in forwardly-located relation to the back rest of the chair. In this position, the forward surface of the base i l is laterally inwardlydirected relative to the chair in any position permitted by the universal connection of the base with'the bracket arm.

The plate 3| is also provided with a laterally inwardly-directed lug 36 and an upwardly-directed lug 35, the latter being located adjacent the bottom edge'of the bracket. and 33 cooperate with the inner side edge of the lug 33 to define a vertically-directed socket which is adapted to receive the end 35 of the bracket arm 29 when it is desired to position the arm and base in an inoperative position. Such position is indicated diagrammatically in broken lines in Figure 2. the bracket arm 29 from the operative horizontal position to the inoperative vertical position, it is obvious that it is only necessary to pivot the arm upwardly with the lug 33 as a fulcrum and at the same time slide the bracket arm forwardly so that the free rear end thereof will just clear the lower lug 35. To return .the bracket arm 23 to the operative position, it is only necessary to rotate the same in a clockwise direction,

whereby it will seat itself between the lugs 33 and-3d. Thereafter, the user of thedevice can slide the bracket arm 29 either forwardly or backwardly. relative to the chair back to position the base H and its pad properly relative to his use.

The lugs 35' When it is desired to move The plate 3| ShOWn is adapted to be positioned only on the right-hand side edge of the chair back, but it is obvious that by a mere reversal of the lugs thereof, the same can be readily adapted to be positioned on the left-hand side edge of the chair back for users who so prefer that location.

Thus, while I have shown and described what is now thought to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that the same is susceptible of other forms and expressions. Consequently, I do not limit myself to the precise structure shown and described, except as hereinafter claimed.

7 back and mounted on said side edge for extensile and retractile movement, said support comprising a vertically disposed plate positioned along said side edge and detachably secured thereto, opposed guide means carried on the outer surface of said plate, comprising a pair of channelshaped lugs positioned in opposed relation with respect to each other, one of said lugs being positioned along the upper edge of said plate and adjacent one side of the latter, the other of said lugs being positioned adjacent the other side of said plate in offset relation with respect to said one of such lugs, and a horizontally disposed arm positioned within said guide means and mounted in the latter for extensile and retractile movement with respect to said plate, one end of said arm having means provided thereon for detachably supporting a head rest in parallel spaced relation with respect to the back of said chair.

NEWELL B. PULSIFER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 7 Date 333,019 Merrick Dec. 22, 1885 689,097 Kirk Dec. 17, 1901 1,471,168 Katz Oct. 16, 1923 1,844,576 Heintz .Feb. 9, 1932 1,986,555 Carlson Jan. 1, 1935 2,133,443 Girl Oct. 18, 1938 2,267,103 Ireland Dec. 23, 1941 

